An electric vehicle uses one or more electric motors for generating torque using battery power and may achieve higher fuel efficiency compared to a general internal combustion engine vehicle.
The electric vehicle may be classified into an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) based on the use of electrical energy.
The EV uses the electric motor as a main torque source, and the HEV and the PHEV uses the electric motor as one of multiple torque sources.
The battery of the EV and the PHEV may be charged by an external power supply, and a charging port for receiving electrical power from the external power supply is mounted in the EV and the PHEV.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a door assembly for a charging port of an electric vehicle according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a door assembly for a charging port of an electric vehicle according to a related art includes a housing 100 in which the charging port for connecting an external power supply is mounted and a door 110 for protecting the housing 100.
The charging port receives AC power from an external power supply and converts the AC power into DC power to charge a battery of the electric vehicle.
The door 110 is connected with the housing 100 through a link portion 120. The link portion 120 is hinge-connected with the door 100 and the housing 100 through slots 130 formed at both sides of the door 110. Accordingly, the door 110 may be opened or closed in a sliding manner.
The link portion 120 includes a first link 121, a second link 123, and a third link 125. First ends of the first link 121 and the second link 123 are hinge-connected with the door 110, and second ends of the first link 121 and the second link 123 are hinge-connected with the housing 100.
A first end of the third link 125 is hinge-connected with one side of the second link 123, and a second end of the third link 125 is hinge-connected with the door 110 through a slot 130.
The door 110 is opened or closed while the second end of the third link 125 slides forward or backward along the slot 130.
However, in the door assembly for the charging port of the electric vehicle according to the related art, a freezing phenomenon may be generated due to moisture flowing into the slot 130 of the door 110 in the winter season, and thereby, it is difficult to open the door 110.
In addition, when the slot 130 is exposed to snow or rain while charging the battery of the electric vehicle, the freezing phenomenon may be generated, and thereby, it is difficult to close the door 110.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.